In the packaging of many generally flat compressible articles, particularly disposable diapers, these articles are divided into groups of predetermined numbers of such articles and packaged loosely in polybags or the like. This has presented a problem in shipping and in storage both in warehouses and on the retailers shelves inasmuch as the loosely packed articles often lack specifically defined shapes and, because of their compressible nature, utilized more storage space both on shelves in the retail outlets and warehouses and in the shipping thereof than was absolutely necessary for the relatively light weight of such articles.
Accordingly, it has been proposed to compress and band flat flexible articles, such as disposable diapers, and then package one or more banded and compressed groups in a polybag or the like for storage, shipping and retailing thereof. These compressed and banded groups of articles overcame the above-mentioned problems.
While some apparatuses have been suggested for compressing and banding groups of predetermined numbers of flat compressible articles, such apparatuses have suffered from many drawbacks in design and operation and, no commercially acceptable apparatus for compressing and banding disposable diapers is currently on the market.